Operations Team

Saroj Powdel, Programme Director
Saroj is an organized and creative professional with proven Business Development, Operational & Marketing skills in the sector of Financial, Non-Profit, Adventure Travel, IT & Media. 12+ years of experience working on Marketing, BD & Operations sector for diverse sectors of business. He has a large experience and expertise in Remittance & Channel Payments inside and outside Nepal, Anti Money Laundering & KYC implementations for foreign payments organizing and managing organizations with financial policies and brand consulting.

He has experience working in the sector of Child Education for almost more than 4 years and has managed and raised funds for vulnerable children for their primary and secondary education. At Dolma Foundation Saroj has been working with the local community developing community trips, routes and way of sustainable living for local communities through tourism in the rural parts of Nepal promoting these trips and also creating a regular cycle of Income for Child Education through our Eco-Tourism programme. Saroj handles the complete Operation and Programme execution of Dolma Foundation.

He will be always there to welcome you with his BIG FAT SMILE.

Carla Kasper, Chief Financial Officer

Carla is a finance and investment executive with over 15 years of experience in fund management, alternative investments and emerging markets. She is a founding Partner of Intercedere UK Ltd, a dedicated emerging market advisory group in the UK. Previously, she held the position of Country Manager for Claritas Investments in London, a firm managing a range of investment funds. Her career also includes 4 years as Product Manager at GEMS Advisors, a leading alternative investment manager in London, and a number of years at the trading desk and investment management positions at J.P. Morgan and Banco Patrimonio/Salomon Brothers in Brazil.

Carla believes that education is a key driver in poverty alleviation and is responsible for raising the funds for the largest financial inclusion in the developing world.

Tsering is from the remote village of Bridim, Nepal. At the age of 12 he had a rare opportunity – he was sponsored for a full school education by a foreign visitor that changed his life forever. After his studies in Kathmandu, he became an expert mountain trek guide and leader, managing groups up to 40 people in the harsh terrains of the Himalayas since 1994. He became a favorite for group management with foreign study programmes and agencies, including Cornell Nepal Study Program (CNSP -USA), Where there be Dragons (USA), Maya Travels (Germany) and Oak Hall Expeditions (UK).

In 2003 he started Dolma Ecotourism with an investment and close partnership with the Dolma Foundation. The project has led hundreds of people deep into the hidden valleys of the Himalayas on community-led adventures that are run and supported by local people. This is both his way of giving back to his community and earning a living. Through Dolma Ecotourism, he now also runs groups through their agreement with Britain’s Mountain Kingdoms tour operator.

He has also worked on many NGO projects in Nepal including for the Dolma Foundation and Friends of Nepal (Germany). He is currently managing the rebuilding of his home village – a Dolma Foundation project – after its destruction in the 2015 earthquakes.

Simon Wong, Fundraising, Marketing and Design

Simon is a Singapore-based actor, creative director and non-profit fundraiser. He is a partner in the award-winning design agency Chemistry, trod the boards at London’s Wimbledon Broadway and toured the UK as a professional actor for Polka and Yellow Earth Theatres. He is a regular face on Singapore TV, often appearing in lead drama roles as well as having hosted for Channel News Asia.

After the loss of his wife Peikie to cancer in 2008, he set up InHerShoes – Art & Music Against Cancer, and has since held awareness and fundraising events at Singapore’s Arts House, Sculpture Square, Hard Rock Cafe, and a national concert at Fort Canning in partnership with the 2011 Run For Hope for cancer research. InHerShoes has to date raised close to $400,000 with its partners.

In 2009 Simon finally made a long-awaited trip to Nepal, a place he had hoped to visit with his wife. He advises the Dolma Foundation on fundraising, marketing and design issues. He has a deep interest in cultures and living a balanced way of life and as such believes the culture and environment of Tibetan villagers in Nepal holds great value for us all.

Boris Kizelshteyn, Chief Technology Officer

Boris is a technologist and a Senior Product Manager at Nokia. In 2011 he graduated from MIT Media Labs with a MSc. He is an expert in applying technology for poverty alleviation and ran a project for MIT in rural India studying the impact of various technologies on living standards. He advises the Dolma Foundation on all aspects of technology and has twice visited our projects in Nepal. Indeed, he got engaged to his wife in the village of Bridim! They now live in Boston, USA.

Boris envisions a world where personal communication takes on the qualities of a sense, enabling users to effortlessly discover useful people and resources that are nearby and available, but out of sight.

Pooja Gurung, Education Advisor

Pooja is from Dhunche, Nepal and worked as teacher and administrator of the Highland Boarding School for seven years. In 2004 she secured a three-year teaching position at the Gurkha School in Singapore, part of the Singapore Police Force. In 2008, she attained a Diploma in International Montessori Education in Singapore and now teaches Kindergarten at the Sayfol International School in Kuala Lumpur.

Pooja advises the Dolma Foundation in applying international and experiential teaching techniques in Nepal.

Christopher Cook, Media Advisor

Chris is assisting the Dolma Foundation with its media relations and digital content strategy. He has a background in campaigning due to his previous work within the media team of a major NGO, and through his current role at a London-based PR agency.